Little Falls transcript. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1876-1894, 1887-02-11


and as you go up to 1t you can look
over the iron railing and see the Pres.
ident's servants ironing his shirts and
other uncomfortable family gar
ments in the laundry of the base.
ment. Raising your eyes you note
that Holland shades of cream color
cover the winows of the east room, and
walking up the sandstone steps you
reach the front door, and here note
that it's step is also of sandstone, g.
part OF which is painted brown. In
front Of the door lies a big straw-col-
ored mat of cocoa, laid there for you
to wipe your feet upon before entering.
The front doors of the White House
are ofwalnut. They redouble doors,
and into each is set an oval piece OF
plate glass with panels of mosaic
about it. Through this oval glass the
doorkeepers can see who wish to ell
ter, and if they are Objectionable can
refuse to open the door. In one Of
them on the inside q card hangs.
This card is made of tin, and upon it
in black letters is painted:
OPEN, 1oA.M.
CLOSED. 2 p. NJ.
CLOSED.
It was after 2 o'clock when I called,
and the house was closed to visitors.
The door-bell of the White Housed is at
the right Of the entrance. It is of
bronze and rather pretty. The door
knob was especially designed for this
door. 1t is as big around as q base
ball and it has an American eagle cut
into it's brass face
Entering tho White House through
these big front doors you first stand
in great vestibule or hall. This is a
conglomeration of the grand and the
cheap. The floor is OF tiled mosaic,
and probably cost several dollars q
square foot. The wall before you was
made by Tiffany. 1t shuts you off
from the grand corridor where the
guests promenade at the state recep.
ton and in which the portraits of all
the Presidents hang. It is splendid
piece of glass mosaic which shines like
so many jewels in the evening. The
chandelier in the centre Of this vesti-
bule is a beauty, and the walls and
the ceilings are frescoed. Thus far the
room is beautiful. But look around
you. Two cheap, rough cocoa door
mats lie upon the mosaic floor. The
woodwork of the yestibule has been
grained to represent black walnut and
vanished, and this varnish is cracked
like an old picture Besides the door
entering the hall there is a walnut UNI
brella stand which would be dear at
SIS, and in the hall beyond, at the
foot OF the stairs, lies a. Smyrna rug,
which long ago saw it's best days. This
hall and indeed the stairs which lead to
the presidents office as we'll, are car
peted with an old piece of Brussels,
which was good once, but which " ould
not now bring fifty cents at auction.
Against the wall sit a couple OF So
wicker chairs. and over the desk at
the foot OF the stairs hangs a calendar
bearing at it's top the advert sement
of a railroad. This carpet has been
patched to fit. 1t has been sewed and
reserved, and at the edges of the
breadths the nap is we'll worn away.
A strip OF the. same carpet, with a six
inch border sewed to each side OF it,
covers the stairs, and this stair car
pet is fastened by si!ver-headed nails.
Ascend the stairs. Each step is
worn threadbare by the tread OF
thousands Of of1ice-seekers, and at the
top Of the landing a white path OF
the well-worn Brussels marks theroad
to the Presidents reception room.
Stop here a moment and look before
you. There is window looking out
upon Lafayette park. This is orna-
mented with o. lamberouin Of green silk
which was fine once, but now faded,
stained, threadbare and shabby. 1t
looks as though it might have been
bought at the auction of a. second
class boarding house. A Holland
shade within 1t hides it's shabbiness
from the street.
Now walk along the path OF the
o1fice-seekers. Go through those wide
doors OF walnut which are fastened
back at the bottom by five-cent iron
hooks, and you stand in the presence
of Col. LoeftIer, the man who receives
the cards Of visitors and takes them
into the President. There are no seats
here to speak OF. Loeffler sits on a
walnut swivel chair before fiat wal.
nut desk, and the only furniture about
him consists OF two high backed chairs,
painted red, which look as though
they were intended for alawn or front
porch. Up two or three steps at the
right is another landing, leading to the
Off ce Of Col. Crook, the dis bursting clerk
OF the White House, on the left hand,
and to Col. sLamont's office on the
right. A yellow Brussels carpet COW